HERZOG JOHANN JAKOB: German Reformed
theologian; b. at Basel Sept. 12, 1805;
d. at Erlangen Sept. 30, 1882. He was educated at the
PEedagogium in Basel and the University of Basel
where he studied theology for three years. He
then attended the University of Berlin, where he
had first Schleiermacher and then NeanAer for
teachers.
He then returned to Basel, where he
passed his first theological examination and became
a docent in the university. In 1835 he was called
to Lausanne, where in 1838 he became professor of
historical theology. At Lausanne he lived on most
friendly terms with both colleagues and students,
cultivating with them pleasant social relations. At
the same time he was very active in a literary way;
besides several smaller essays, such as one on the
teachings of Zwingli, and his Johann" Calvin, eine
biographische Skizze (Basel, 1843), he composed a
longer work:
Das Leben Œcolampadius und die Reformation der Kirche zu Basel (2 vols.,
Basel, 1843). In 1840 and 1841 he contributed a series of articles
to the Evangelische Kirchenzeitung
on the
conflict between the national church of the Canton of Vaud
and the State, which at that time was trying to
render it dependent. In Feb., 1846, he resigned his
professorship on account of conscientious scruples
and after a year of private teaching was called in
the spring of 1847 to the chair of church history and
New Testament exegesis at the University of Halle.
While there he became much interested in the
Waldenses, two of his students being members of
that sect, and he devoted himself to a historical
investigation of their origin, making for that pur
pose journeys to Geneva, Grenoble, Paris, and
Dublin that he might study ancient manuscripts
dealing with that subject. The results of these
researches he embodied both in his
De origine et pristino statu Waldensium
(Halle, 1848) and in his comprehensive
Die romanischen Waldenser
(1853). His studies led him to quite different opinions on
the early history of the Waldenses from those usu
ally entertained at the time, but his views are now
universally adopted. He believed the Waldenses
arose not earlier than the twelfth century, and
from the beginning were students of the Bible, but
deserted the paths of Roman Catholic piety only in
the sixteenth century under the influence of Huss
and the German Reformation. In 1854 he was
called to Erlangen as professor of Reformed theology.
Some time before this there had been planned in
Germany a comprehensive encyclopedic work on
theology, and Schneckenburger had been named as
editor, but the revolution of 1848 had caused it to
be abandoned for a time. With the advent of peace
it was again undertaken. Schneckenburger having
died in 1848, Tholuck, who was asked for advice,
suggested the name of Herzog. Herzog was well
fitted for the task by his many-sided knowledge,
his ripe judgment, his mild and catholic views, his
strong faith in revelation, and especially by his
extended personal relations. He took great in
terest in the undertaking, contributing from his own
pen no less than 529 articles. For the history
of the
Real-Encyklopädie
see the preface to the first
volume of this work, p. ix. Besides the works
mentioned above, Herzog wrote an
Abriss der gesammten Kirchengeschichte
(3 vols., Erlangen, 1876-H2).
F.sieffert.
Bibliography:
F. 6ieffert, in the AUgemeirse Zeitung, 1883,
no. 31, Beilage.
